Abstract:

Peer observation in higher education is an element of development towards the enhancement of quality of teaching and learning. In the process of pedagogical observation teachers empower self-reflection on their pedagogical practice and identify good practices observed and establish communication about teaching with their colleagues. The inclusion of students in observation practice increases the awareness of student experience in pedagogical practice, which fosters the introduction of improvements in teaching and learning.

In a 2014/15 pilot project of peer observation, the Faculty of Administration, the University of Ljubljana investigated the perceptions of teachers and students about pedagogical process. While monitoring the pedagogical process in lecture rooms peer teachers/observers and students noted down their observations on observation sheets. The aim of the project was to investigate how both parties experience the process and what they detect as strengths, weaknesses or opportunities for improvements in the teaching and learning process. The survey compared the observations in order to find what both groups recognize as important elements of teaching practice and possible similarities and differences in their observations.

Qualitative content analysis (QCA) was applied to the survey to analyze users’ responses. Results of the analysis reveal that students are most motivated when practical current examples from everyday life linked to theory are explained. Both their involvement and active participation increase when teamwork and IKT tools are introduced into the study process. Students’ questionnaires also reveal that the lowest point of motivation occurs after 45 minutes of teaching. An abundance of information in a lecture is also reported as a drawback. Students also tend to disconnect from the lecture if the pace of a lecture is very fast. The analysis provides evidence that students rarely recognize learning outputs and outcomes of lectures.

The analysis shows that results of students’ responses differ from teachers’ responses, particularly in matters related to the weaker points of a lecture, proposals for future improvements and acquisition of the objectives of a lecture.

Opportunities for improvements observed by both analyzed groups are that a standardized lecture framework should be devised for various lecture types and that more attention should paid to stimulating students’ reflection with challenging questions. Questions/energizers that could help raise the attention during lectures should be employed more often.

The results of the survey suggest that advantages of peer observation are multifold: it is not only the feedback on teaching from colleagues and students but also the process of planning strategies to address areas for improvements in the process of teaching and learning practice observation. Students as partners in the process are empowered by the ability to recognize the academic excellence in teaching and learning and thus become responsible for the improvements in the pedagogical culture of an institution.

Keywords:

Peer observation, higher education, pedagogy, teaching, qualitative content analysis.